What was he up to?
Before she could give it any more thought they’d dropped Toby and arrived at the hospital.
‘I hope no one sees us,’ she mumbled as she released her seat belt and reached forward to open the door.
‘Ashamed of me, Brooke?’ He sounded amused and she gave him a wry look. Hardly. There wasn’t a woman alive who’d be ashamed of being seen with Jed Matthews.
‘I just don’t like gossip.’
‘Ignore it,’ he advised, switching off the engine and reaching for his briefcase. ‘I’ve got a ward round in five minutes so I’ve got to dash. I’ll catch up with you later.’
With that he strode across the car park, leaving her staring after him.
The day was as busy as usual, and halfway through the morning there was great excitement because Ally Nicholson, wife of the A and E consultant, went into labour.
‘It was far too early to come in,’ she grumbled as Brooke made her comfortable in one of the special labour rooms. ‘But Sean is like a cat on hot bricks. This is the second time we’ve been through this but he’s just as bad this time round.’
‘It always happens with doctors.’ Brooke laughed, checking Ally’s temperature and blood pressure. ‘I suppose they know too much. Where is he now?’
‘Dropping the other two off with my mum.’ Ally screwed up her face as
another pain hit her. ‘Ouch! I tell you, I wish it was Sean that was having it. He’s much tougher than me.’
‘Not that tough,’ drawled a voice from the doorway, and Sean Nicholson walked in, his dark eyes worried. ‘Are you doing all right, babe?’
‘I’m fine.’ Ally rolled her eyes and curled her fingers into the bedspread. ‘I think I might be further on than I thought. These pains are pretty bad and pretty close together.’
Brooke moved the CTG machine closer to the bed. ‘Well, I’ll just attach you to this for a minute and then I’ll examine you.’
Sean paced over to the window and back again. ‘Is Jed around? I think you should see a doctor.’
‘Sean!’ Ally shook her head and gave him an outraged look. ‘Calm down, will you? I don’t need Jed. This is going to be a perfectly normal delivery. I want a midwife.’
Sean took a deep breath and threw Brooke an apologetic look. ‘I wasn’t questioning your skills—’
‘It’s fine, Dr Nicholson,’ she said quietly. ‘I understand your concerns. If there’s anything at all untoward, please, rest assured that I’ll call Jed.’
She wasn’t offended. Most doctors were nervous wrecks when their wives were in labour.
‘Call me Sean, please.’ He sank into a chair next to the bed and closed his eyes. ‘Did you have to do this today, Ally? I was up all night with a motorcyclist who had an argument with a lorry.’
‘Well, I’m sorry to inconvenience you,’ Ally shot back tartly, but Brooke could see from the way they exchanged glances that they were crazy about each other. What was it like to have that sort of relationship with the man you’d married? She swallowed hard and concentrated on the trace and then examined Ally.
‘Eight centimetres,’ she murmured a few minutes later, dropping her gloves in the bin and scribbling on the chart. ‘It won’t be long at all, Ally.’
‘Thank goodness for that.’ Sean raked a hand through his cropped dark hair. ‘I can’t stand the strain.’
‘You can’t stand the strain?’ Ally thumped him playfully and then moaned and grabbed his hand. ‘Oh, Sean!’
‘It’s OK, sweetheart, I’m here.’ His voice was gruff and he looked helplessly at Brooke. ‘Are you sure she doesn’t need a section?’
‘Calm down, Nicholson.’ Jed’s lazy drawl made them all glance up and he grinned at them. ‘Everything OK here?’
‘It’s fine,’ Brooke and Ally chorused, but Sean shook his head.
‘No, it’s not fine. How you can deal with this every day, I don’t know. You must have nerves of steel, Matthews!’
Jed laughed and picked up Ally’s notes. ‘She’s not my wife, Sean. It makes a difference, believe me.’